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The Fight for Rio's Future

By Theresa Williamson

Marielle Franco represented a new, empowered generation of favela leaders. Despite her death, they are unlikely to back down.

"They tried to bury us, but didn't realize we are seeds." – Proverb cited at events marking the March 14 death of Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman Marielle Franco.

RIO DE JANEIRO – When Brazil abolished slavery in 1888, enslaved Africans comprised 40 percent of Rio de Janeiro’s population. Lacking rights in what was, and remains, one of the world’s most unequal countries for land ownership,...

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